Anyone else got a Disney Florida trip planned? Want to get excited together and share plans?

We are off to DisneyWorld next year and I am already really excited about it. Anyone else? I'd love to compare notes on what you are doing to prepare. I'm starting to think about how to do a big surprise for the DC when we tell them we are going.

I'm so excited about Harry Potter World too. We're contemplating booking one night in one of the Universal Resorts because you get early entry to Harry Potter World and front of line passes for the day you check-in and the day you check-out. Think it could be well worth it.

We are actually having low level talks about buying a villa. That's how much I love it, I can tell you that as you aren't going to go all snobby on me. In RL people would really raise an eyebrow. It will take us years to do it mind but then when we are older we could spend a whole month in the middle of a miserable UK winter in the sun.

Thanks for the autograph book tips! May wait until we get there... I have the unofficial guide and have each day planned based on extra hours and avoiding busy days etc etc...it made my mind boggle actually but I needed to book all our dining so needed to decide which parks on which day up front! We only have seven nights and want to make the most of it!DH has just downloaded that app painting which looks really useful. I had to do the Cinderella breakfast. We will probably never go back and as DD is 5 it is just a must. DSs will probably love it too!! I am going to buy her a new princess dress up outfit for the occasion before we go!For her birthday in July I bought her loads of Disney princess stuff so she is all clued up about each one. I am trying to subtly indoctrinate them without letting the secret out! I bought the encyclopaedia of Disney princesses which both boys have poured over!I am so excited too!!

Wahoo. We are going in 28 days. I can't wait. We have a couple of days in Clearwater first then Orlando. For 9 days then back to the seaside as we fly to and from tampa cos it was loads cheaper than Orlando airport. It gonna be a complete surprise for the kids 12 & 9. They think we are going to Italy on a camp site like canvas! We did Disney parks last time so this time it's the water parks and universal.

Youbroke That is our dream, our absolute dream. You are right though, some people are a little snobby about Disney. I don't know why though.

We had a few looks when we told family we had booked to go back, they think we are crazy. Its not like we haven't travelled lots, DH and I have both lived in different countries, travelled plenty but we just have so much fun at Disney that we like to go back. I can't see what there is to be snobby about.

You can often get deals for more than one night cheaper than one night on its own so bear that in mind. We got our deal through flight centre or some such. You can get it cheaper if you are AA as well.

Painting - had a thought about your reveal - do you know anyone who is going to the land of the mouse before you?

Reason I ask, is that we got our boys a Disney Dollar each for their reveal. Got a friend to pick them up in guest services (at any Disney park). It's a flat exchange rate 1 dollar = 1 Disney Dollar, but they are beautiful, with Minnie, Mickey and Donald on them.

Loads of people recommend booking into the Hard Rock Hotel (or any of the Universal ones) for 1 night, as this gets you front of the line passes for 2 days, which for a family of 4 don't cost much less than the hotel room!

Happy At the Cinderella breakfast the boys will get a sword and the girls get a wand. When we went the next table had 2 boys on and they got lots of extra attention from the princesses, I think they were the only boys in there but they looked like they were having a blast.

Lots of girls were in princess dresses, many had just come from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique so had the dress, their hair up in a bun with a tiara and spray glitter in and some make up on. They really look great, its really cute when a mini Belle meets the real Belle!

Yep and unlike the bought express passes they are unlimited so you can go on a ride again and again, as my dc did on Woody Woodpeckers roller coaster. I got myself a frozen margarita in the end and sat and watched them. Marvellous.

In fact universal is a lot more chilled like that generally. There's a great splash play area where you can chill out while they get completely soaked, we took towels and cossies with us.

Tobago Sadly no, we don't know anyone going between then and now. We have some D.dollars but they are Pirates of the Caribbean though so nut sure the DDs will like them! Wonder if there are any on ebay?

Ahh.... We won't be boutiquing it as we have a really early slot... But she will def dress up. belle is her current favourite so will probably go for her or poss Cinderella herself! When we were camping on a Yelloh site in the summer in France there was a man dressed up as a giant red and yellow chipmunk and the most mouth eaten bedraggled costume you have ever seen. DD still believed 'Yellihto' was real and spent every evening at the mini disco queuing up for a cuddle....This is why I think Disney will blow her mind!!

Happy I'd steer her to dress as Belle because you will probably get more attention from Belle once you are all sat and eating if she has the Belle dress on. Your time with Cinderella is much more limited so unlikely to get any extra 'special' time with her.

Just did a quick search on prices for Universal hotels- can get Loew's Royal Pacific for £187 for my dates or Hard Rock/ Portofino Bay for £226.... The fast passes for 2 days for 4 of us come to £346 so it's a no-brainer!! Going to book one of them for sure!!

My daughters favourite bit of the whole holiday Happy was being very first in the queue to meet the princesses at the meet and greet in the town hall in Magic Kingdom. My DH legged it through the entrance when the rope was dropped and got there first. When they opened, Princess Aurora came to open the doors and escorted my DD (2yrs 11mths) inside, whilst the other cast members ushered in the others to form a queue, Aurora sat with my DD and chatted with her and then showed my DD her dress and taught her to swish her dress like a princess. DD beamed for the rest of the day, it was really magical.So my top tip is to get to the front of the queue one morning if you can, your DD would love it!

Oh you are getting me all excited! We're off there at Easter for a week on a Disney Cruise then a week at Saratoga springs. Last time we were there we did a night at Royal Pacific to allow us early entry into universal and it was well worth it. We looked at the hard rock but we spent so little time in the hotel it wouldn't have been worth it. We're not doing Universal this time as we've now got DS and I don't think it's as baby friendly as Disney, plus we only have a week for the parks. Wow love the idea of the big reveal! I bet your little ones will be ecstatic, I know I would

Wanna I hope they will be really excited, I think they will be. We looked at loads of YouTube videos to get ideas of how to do the reveal but most rely on the kids reading something and ours are too young to read so thats why we came up with the suitcases. I'm hoping that the first few letters, which we'll read to them, will give enough of a hint that the penny will drop when they see the suitcases. Will try to video it, but I might be too excited to hold the camera!

We stayed at the Royal Pacific for 3 nights and it was worth every penny for the fast pass and early acces to Wizarding World You can walk on to pretty much all of the rides, although not Ollivanders so get there early. I read on a HP site that they are building a new section for Harry potter which will be Kings Cross. I want to go again just for that!